This alliance against God may refer to the gathering of certain kings to fight against Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah (2 Chronicles 20). The psalm's author is called Asaph, but it could be Asaph or one of his descendants. A descendant of Asaph named Jahaziel prophesied victory for Judah in the battle against Jehoshaphat (2Ch 20:13-17) and exclaimed, "The battle is not yours, but God's" (2Ch 20:15). God is "the Most High, supreme over all the earth" (Psa 83:18), and the enemies of Israel were considered God's enemies.
Psalms 83:6
The Hagrites may have been the descendants of Hagar (Gen 21:8-21).
Psalms 83:8-11
The "descendants of Lot" refers to the Moabites and Ammonites (Gen 19:36-38). Sisera was the commander of the army of the oppressive Canaanite king Jabin. He was killed by a woman (see Judges 4 for the complete story). (For the story of Oreb and Zeeb, see Jdg 7:25; for Zebah and Zalmunna, see Jdg 8:21.)
Psalms 83:13-18
Surrounding Judah were pagan nations that sought Judah's downfall. The writer prayed that God would blow these nations away like tumbleweed until they recognized that the Lord is supreme over all rulers of the earth. Sometimes we must be humbled by adversity before we will look up and see the Lord; we must be defeated before we can have the ultimate victory. Wouldn't it be better to seek the Lord in times of prosperity than to wait until his judgment is upon us?
